Whatever happened to good fist fights in shows?

[bencasey]

Watching DVDs of Route 66, Man From UNCLE, I Spy and Mod Squad, among others, there are tons of great scenes with fist fights. It got me thinking about the lack of them in current shows, unless I'm just not watching the shows that have them. Any thoughts?

[apileocole]

1 part cliche allergy and 2 parts hypocritical "political correctness"?

I'm not sure I watch enough TV to say if it were more or less common, but as strange as it sounds considering the things they will feature all over the place, it's not impossible.

After all, you don't hear as many good singers in TV shows either anymore do ya?

[John B Good]

Any thoughts?

They can't compete with torture and explosions.

[dirwuf]

You should be watching Jerry Springer...

[The Panda]

A lot of the 'fighting' now is with words on shows like House, where the enemy is not a criminal or some kid on LSD (a fave Steve McGarrett foe), but organizations, governments, etc.

[Lord Hawthorne]

Why didn't a fistfight ever break out on Gilligan's Island?

[munson66]

They can't compete with torture and explosions.

And guns, guns, guns. Horatio Caine needs a Glock. And sunglasses. Quincy, M.E. only needed a sneer. ¿Quien es mas macho, Horatio? I say it's Jack Klugman.

[Ryan]

Fistfights gave way to car chases, then to guns, then in the 90s-00s, courtroom and medical dramas :)

[munson66]

Why didn't a fistfight ever break out on Gilligan's Island?

Gilligan was such a featherweight that the Skipper could knock him over with nothing more than his captain's cap. Plus, I suspect the Professor was slipping saltpeter into the coconut cream pies the girls baked.

[munson66]

A lot of the 'fighting' now is with words on shows like House, where the enemy is not a criminal or some kid on LSD (a fave Steve McGarrett foe), but organizations, governments, etc.

Kids on dope -- a fave on Dragnet '69, too.

[gd0]

Maybe Gilligan could hang in a fistfight with Mrs Howell.

[Grant]

Jerry Springer still shows them...

[therockman]

I think that fistfights in shows have gone away with fistfights in true life. I have frequented bars on and off for over 30 years, and in the old days fist fights broke out quite regularly in any bar. Now adays people tend to bring out guns to end a fight. It is sad, but it is reality.

[axnyslie]

There was the "Cripple Fight" on South Park which was choreographed entirely from the infamous fist fight in the movie They Live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHgcfpgJP3U

[Senn20]

And guns, guns, guns. Horatio Caine needs a Glock. And sunglasses. Quincy, M.E. only needed a sneer. ¿Quien es mas macho, Horatio? I say it's Jack Klugman.
Horatio Cane shoots a Sig, actually.

[wayneklein]

That's what I liked about Wild Wild West--a fist fight in EVERY episode.

[ManFromCouv]

Fistfights gave way to car chases, then to guns, then in the 90s-00s, courtroom and medical dramas :)

Which has now given way to Simon Cowell, Paul Abdul, Donald Trump, Gene Simmons and other acts of unbearable mental violence. :)

[apileocole]

Why didn't a fistfight ever break out on Gilligan's Island?

Because the only two that could take on one another for any length of time - well, there were sensors y'know. ;)

[rburly]

Because the only two that could take on one another for any length of time - well, there were sensors y'know. ;)

:biglaugh:

[John Egan]

Robert Conrad did most of his own stunts on WWW until he was injured. This is why body doubles were so common. Shatner's doubles on Star Trek were often quite obvious and it is more difficult to get away with that kind of thing today. The picture is sharper and fans are more observant.

Sarah Michelle Gellar had a double too of course but the fights on Buffy and Angel could be very intense. Dark sets and rapid cutting help a lot.

[Lord Hawthorne]

Because the only two that could take on one another for any length of time - well, there were sensors y'know. ;)

Are we talking about a slapping match?

[munson66]

Horatio Cane shoots a Sig, actually.
Thanks for clarifying. I honestly didn't know, and wasn't inclined to search out the info. (Unusual for me -- minutiae is my livelihood. Maybe I'm coming down with that flu that's been going around.)

[Michael]

it was mandatory in every single 50' & 60's western TV show! I loved it...bloodless fist fights? and everybody looked perfect in the next scene.:D

[Simon A]

I've always found that there weren't enough fist fights on The Love Boat... :D

I think that was part of the reason why a show like Life On Mars was so sucessful. It brought back everything that was not PC in the 60s/70s shows and let me tell you, there's plenty of fist fights on that show...

[stereoptic]

There's usually a good brutal fist fight on LOST almost every week.